GUL VISITS KYRGYZSTAN
Accompanied by a crowd of deputies, government officials and businessmen, President Abdullah Gul yesterday started a Central Asian tour starting from Kyrgyzstan. "Central Asia is undoubtedly one of the most important issues of Turkish politics. We've always attached importance to our relations and cooperation with the countries in the region which we have common historic and cultural bond," Gul told reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport. Gul said that his visit to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan would offer a unique opportunity to strengthen ties. /Hurriyet Daily News/
DAVUTOGLU VISITS BAKU
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday held a joint pres conference with his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku. "Azerbaijan's stability, well-being, future and territorial integrity are very important for Turkey," said Davutoglu, adding, "Azerbaijan's strength means Turkey's strength." He said, "Our message to regional actors, including Armenia, is very clear. The region must be free of occupations and tensions." Stating that they always express that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue should be solved as soon as possible, Davutoglu said Turkey's view on the issue is clear and that the problem should be solved within the frame of Azerbiajan's territorial integrity. /Milliyet/
BRITAIN'S MILIBAND REITERATES HIS COUNTRY'S SUPPORT TO TURKEY FOR THE EU
British Foreign Minister David Miliband yesterday paid a visit to Ankara, and met with State Minister and chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis. Afterwards, Miliband told a joint press conference that Turkey and Great Britain work together in the UN and NATO. "I'm looking forward to a date when the two countries will work together in the European Union," he added. Stating that the continuation of the EU's membership negotiation process with Turkey is exactly beneficial for the EU itself, he reiterated his country's support for Turkey during its negotiation process. For his part, Bagis thanked Miliband for supporting Turkey's EU membership. Stating that the EU membership is not an easy process, he added that Turkey would complete this process through patience, decisiveness and its efforts. Miliband is expected to meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan today. /Star/
TURKEY-ARAB RELATIONS SYMPOSIUM HELD IN ISTANBUL
An opening ceremony of Arab geography in Ottoman period and Turkey-Arab relations symposium was held in Istanbul yesterday, led by Marmara University History Department and the Association of Researchers on the Middle East and Africa. Organization of Islamic Committee (OIC) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, State Minister Prof. Mehmet Aydin, as well as more than 60 participants from the Arab world and other countries attended the ceremony. Speaking at the gathering, Aydin said that the Turkish and Arab world had considerably historic ties. Ihsanoglu said that the link between Turks and Arabs have always been kept through their common history. /Star/
TURKEY TO TAKE OVER TERM PRESIDENCY OF UN SECURITY COUNCIL
Turkey, which became a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council early this year for 2009-2010 period, is set to take over the rotating term presidency of the Council from Russia as of June 1. The Security Council has 15 members and five of them, namely Britain, France, China, the US and Russia, are permanent members. Each member of the Council has the veto right and assumes the term presidency of the Council for a period of one month in alphabetical order. In related news, Turkey has assumed the chair position of a UN sanctions committee on North Korea and it will be Turkey to convey UN's ultimatums to this country so that it immediately halts its nuclear program. Turkey also harshly condemned North Korea's latest nuclear test, labeling the move by Pyongyang as far from the international community's expectations for regional peace and stability. /Sabah/
RUSSIAN PM PUTIN SET TO VISIT TURKEY NEXT MONTH
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is scheduled to pay a one-day official visit to Ankara on June 15 at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Putin's talks in Ankara are expected to focus on ways to ensure the synchronized solution of problems between Turkey and Armenia, and Azerbaijan and Armenia. Turkey expects Russia to use its power to solve the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh through peaceful means. To this end, Turkey urges Russia to speed up efforts under the MINSK Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 to encourage a peaceful and negotiated resolution to the issue. It is headed by a Co-Chairmanship consisting of France, Russia and the United States, and also includes the following participating states: Belarus, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Turkey as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan. /Turkiye/
BASBUG: "OUR ARMY IS MORE POWERFUL AND INSPIRES FEAR IN OUR ENEMIES"
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has been undertaking annual maneuvers/exercises under the command of the Aegean Army since May 6 to last until May 29, with top level coordination among all TSK forces. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chief of General Staff Ilker Basbug, along with other top commanders, attended the distinguished observers' day of the military drills yesterday. The EFES-2009 exercises consist of three phases, especially specializing on air strike operations, coordination of fire support, cyber war, special forces operations and chemical-biological operations. The newly innovated weapons and systems in the TSK's arsenal are mobilized during the practices. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Basbug said that the TSK's ability to plan and carry out collective military operations had reached an excellent level. Basbug also said the TSK's current firepower and high-level capacity to conduct night operations inspire happiness and confidence in friendly countries, while inspiring fear and concern in unfriendly ones. For the first time, relatives of martyred and veteran soldiers were also invited to observe this year's drills. /Sabah/